bothered him: He hadn't told her the truth about Nancy and the kids. If there was ever to be anything meaningful between them, he'd have to tell her. Tomorrow.
He started the motor, put the Mercury into gear. And when he drove away, recalling their kisses, he failed to notice the man in the car, slouched down behind the wheel, parked across the street from Annie's house.
– -
When Colin pulled into his driveway he saw a car in front of his house but didn't recognize it. The door opened on the driver's side and a man got out.
'Hey there, Maguire,' Hallock called, coming toward him. 'Waldo. I didn't know it was you. New car?'
He ambled up the path. 'Rental.'
Colin wondered why he couldn't use his own car but didn't ask.
'Some beautiful night.' Hallock faced the water and the tiny sparkling lights of Shelter Island.
Colin said, 'Full moon.'
The men looked at each other, a frisson of fear passing over each face, then laughed at their superstition.
Hallock inhaled a mouthful of air. 'Ah, boy, that's good. No goddamn pollution here. Smell that air, Maguire? That's Seaville air, smelled it all my life. Can't imagine smelling any other air.'
'Any reason why you'll have to?'
'Every reason.' He put a hand on Colin's shoulder. 'Can we go in?'
They walked up the steps. Colin opened the screen door to the porch and got out his keys.
Hallock said, 'Used to be a time when nobody had to lock their doors. Gone forever.'
Inside Colin snapped on a light.
'Haven't been in this house for more than thirty years. My first girlfriend lived here, Roberta Staten, Bobbie I called her. Had blond curls like ringlets all over her head. Real pretty blue eyes, the kind that make you stop and stare, know what I mean?'
Colin nodded. 'What happened to her?'
'Moved away, married some pilot for one of the big airlines. Place looks different. Didn't have all this nice wallpaper then.'
They walked through the living room into the large kitchen. Colin pulled the cord on the large wicker hanging lamp over the round oak table.
'Christ almighty,' Hallock said, looking around. 'I never saw a red kitchen before.'
'Me either. You have to get used to it. Want a drink?'
'I'll take a beer.' He put a stack of folders on the table.
Colin hadn't noticed them before. He handed Hallock a cold beer. 'Want a glass?'
'Nope. You're not having any?'
'I had some wine earlier.' He popped the tab on his can of Tab. 'What's up? I have the feeling this isn't just a social call.'
'You're right.' Hallock sat at the table and pushed the folders to one side.
Colin joined him.
'You been with Annie Winters tonight?' He smiled knowingly and sucked on his beer.
'Have you got me under surveillance?'
'Just a lucky guess. Nice lady. I like her.'
'She likes you, too.' He lit a cigarette.
'Thing is, I got thinking about what she said to me yesterday after the meeting. You know, about doing some investigating on my own. I mean, maybe the people have turned their backs on me, but I can't turn my back on them. It's still my town.'
'Do you have something?' Colin asked, nodding toward the folders.
'Don't know. I thought maybe we could work on this together. That is, if you don't mind teaming up with the ex-chief of police.'
'Come on.'
'Well, it's a fact. Can't deny it. That's who I am. Ex-chief of police. Ex-chief of police separated from his wife.'
'You're kidding.'
'Fact.'
'Why?' Colin was astonished. Everyone knew Fran and Waldo Hallock were crazy about each other. 'It's not something to do with that Dorman woman, is it?'
'Fran was with her, Maguire. Sitting right there in the same row, listening to that gal cut me up one side, down the other. Claims she had no idea Julia was going to say that stuff.'
'I don't think she did. I saw Fran's face when Dorman started talking against you. She was shocked.'
'Maybe so, but she didn't do beans about it.'
'What could she have done?'
'She could've got up and walked out. Or better yet, come sat with me. She did nothing. I bumped into Gildersleeve about an hour later, know what he said to me? Said, 'Well, Slats, guess you've really been pussy- whipped this time.' Nice, huh?'
'Yeah. Nice.'
'And he didn't mean Julia Dorman either. Meant Fran. Ah, hell, Maguire, that's water under the bridge.' He pulled the folders toward him.
Colin wondered whether to push the man to talk more about the situation with Fran. He suspected he'd said all he could. 'Where're you staying?'
'Wood's Motel. Can't tell you how happy they were to get me. Place is almost empty. Liz Wood, the gal who owns the joint, said business's been off by two-thirds since these murders started. You heard them yesterday, Maguire. Everybody's hurting around here. We just got to get this bastard.'
Colin made a quick decision. 'I want to help, Waldo, but I have to tell you something first.'
'Shoot.'
'I want to tell you about my wife and children.'
'Didn't know you had a wife and kids.'
'I don't. They're dead. I want to tell you how they died.'
It took about twenty minutes. Sweat ran down Colin's body, his voice shook, and his hands trembled. But he did it, and was glad.
'Shit, Maguire, losing your wife and kids. I don't know what I'd do if that happened to me.' He took a swig of beer.
'There's something else,' Colin went on. 'Babe Parkinson found out and it looks like she's given the story to
'You kidding me or what? You think what you told me makes a difference? Hell, Maguire, what kind of schlemiel do you think I am?'
Colin shrugged, stubbed out his cigarette. 'I just thought I should give you the out.'
'Don't want it. I need a partner, somebody to bounce ideas off, get some input, too. Charlie Copin and me used to do it that way, but I can't jeopardize Charlie's career, ask him to openly work with me. He's got to work with Wonder Boy now. But Charlie's a good guy, he'll do what he can on the QT. He got me these,' he said, pointing to the folders. 'Xeroxed the originals. And he'll keep me informed much as he can.'
'What are they?'
'The dossiers on the victims. I figure we've been going at this thing all wrong, Maguire. Looking for the killer before we know everything about the victims. I think the answer to who this bozo is is right here.' He tapped the top folder with a long thin finger. 'These people weren't picked at random. The bastard has some kind of plan. The marks, the choice of victim, the place he kills 'em, all of it. There's a design, like a blueprint, know what I mean?'
Colin told him what he'd learned about the latest symbol, and said he was going to research it further.
'See,' Hallock said, 'that's just what I mean. The fucker's practically telling us who he is, only we aren't picking it up.'
'Do you think he wants to be caught?'
